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WikiLeaks says US justified Armenian separatist actions in Georgiaâ€™s Javakhetia region

28 September 2011 15:36 (UTC +04:00)

US ambassador to Armenia Mary Jovanovich described the Georgian ambassador Georgy Tabatadzeâ€™s ideas in her dispatches. Tabatadze told US ambassador that his country considers closing borders with Armenia. â€œTabatadze substantiated his ideas with Armeniaâ€™s high demands on the issue of delimitation of borders and its intention to gain larger territories changing the borders. The ambassador told his US colleague that â€œwe donâ€™t want those churches, everyone knows that those are Armenian churchesâ€. US ambassador considers that Georgia intends to save the churches to gain relevant political dividends.

US diplomatsâ€™ dispatches show that they justify Armeniaâ€™s claims against Georgia, particularly regarding the Javakhetia issue. After the meeting with head of Georgian eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, US ambassador to Georgia John Tuft sent a dispatch to Washington where he justified Armeniansâ€™ demands to increase authorities of local administration in Javakhetia, to declare Armenian language as an official language in that region, to register Armenian Apostolic Church, to return place of worships confiscated during the soviet period to this church and to establish Armenian-Georgian joint university in Akhalkalaki. The ambassador said these demands were in accordance with the international law.

In her dispatch to Washington, US ambassador to Armenia Mary Jovanovich wrote about the details of her meeting with head of Armenian church Garegin II. â€œCatholicos told me that if Georgian orthodox church proves that the disputed churches belong them he will assist them to return these churches to Georgia. Garegin II said the biggest religious problem for the Armenians in Georgia is the Georgian Orthodox Church. This church is very conservative and it is difficult to achieve any progress during current patriarchy because Patriarch Ilya II is against the equal rights between the orthodox churches and other religious communities in Georgiaâ€.